Nineteenth of Year A. 11
August 2011
In last weeks homily I mentioned that the parable of the ‘prodigal son,’ which appears in Lk. 15, is one of the places in the New Testament where we get the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth, unadorned or altered by later editing, comment, or interpretation.
It tells us exactly what Jesus taught about God, whom he habitually addressed as ‘Abba’ (which means ‘Daddy‘).
In the Galilee of Jesus time the authority of the father in the home was paramount. He was never challenged or contradicted and if he ever was, by one of his sons, ( wives and daughters were as nothing ) then it was the gravest of crimes and a shame on the whole family and destroyed family cohesiveness.
The story we call ‘the prodigal son’ is not about the prodigal son or about his brother who stayed at home, but about the father.
The attitude and actions of the father were astounding and unheard of to Jesus listeners.
They certainly wouldn’t agree with it but found it immensely attractive.
Even today what father among you would react as the father in the parable reacted if confronted with the same situation by an adult son of your’s?
What does the son do?
- Daddy, he said, I want, here and now, the half of all your money and property which I will inherit when you die.
- He converts it all into cash and takes the next plane to Bangkok.
- After a few years, having squandered it all, he has to take work as a pig-herd to try and feed himself.
- Having anything to do with pigs makes him physically and spiritually impure in the eyes of his compatriots and family.
- Anyone who touches him or associates with him also becomes physically and spiritually impure.
- Hunger and self-interest drives him home, not regret or repentance.
Now we see why the authors and editors of the New Testament found it so difficult to accept God as portrayed by Jesus of Nazareth. Now we understand why our Churches find it so difficult to accept God as portrayed in the parable of the prodigal son. Now I see how difficult it is for me to accept God as He is.
We demand repentance. We demand recompense. We demand penance. We demand restitution. We demand punishment. We demand an eye for an eye.
To believe in a God who has absolutely no interest in these things turns our world upside down.
Jesus of Nazareth was executed because he turned his world upside down.
You have copies of the parable called ‘the prodigal son.’ You can read it quietly for a few minutes (and if possible many times at home) and try to understand what Jesus of Nazareth is trying to tell you about God your Father.